Shodow of the Past
by Rurouni-agra
Summary: Ok this is my Old Friend fic redone with another chapter added on. Pzanna, this is for you. Sorry I took so long to up-date. I changed the title (You'll see why) but basixcly, kenshin meetes up with omeone from his past, and old friend... yea, that's c
1. Default Chapter

Yami Kitsune: Sorry, we jud HAD to redo this chapter before posting the next one.  There were so many mistakes.  How did we spell KYOTO wrong?

Rurouni_agra: Yea, it was pretty bed, so we redid it.  We didn't change anything if you've already read it, but we fixed all the annoying mistakes. (Hopefully)

Yami Kitsune: Yea, so, we don't own Ruouni Kenshin, if we did Kenshin, Sano, and Saito would be tied up in my room and Shishio would die ten thousand deaths by impalement for hurting my red headed rurouni! 

Rurouni_agra: I think I'm gonna be sick… even Shishio doesn't deserve that.  Any way no warnings, not in this chapter.  Start the fic!

Old Friends 

Ch1

"Baka!"

Kaoru's shout floated on the breeze to Kenshin's ears as he knelt washing.  He chuckled at the now common sound of Kaoru's and Yahiko's bickering.

            "I always wanted a family," thought the ex-assassin to himself, "I just never thought I would get it this way…"

            Kenshin had been living with Kaoru for years now.  Yahiko had become a young man and was now taller then the red head.  Kaoru was still madly in love with him, though he pretended to be ignorant of the fact.  Megumi had left Tokyo and started her own medical practice in Kyoto near Misao and her husband's new home.  Misao gave up on Aoshi for reasons unclear to everyone but them.  Sano had left to travel the world.  It was kind of lonely without everyone there.  Even Saito had been moved out of Tokyo and hadn't been seen for months.  I was quiet and peaceful, except for Kaoru and Yahiko.

            The dojo had grown since he had come.  Paying students were taught the art of fighting with the wooden swords.  Students were constantly in and out of the dojo but none had ever become as close as Yahiko, Sano, and the other friends Kenshin had made since settling down.

            He had finally admitted to himself that he would live the rest of these days here.  He had nowhere to go, he was no longer young, he had no urge to travel, and as long as Kaoru let him, he was willing to do laundry and clean to earn his keep.

            He sighed as he heard Yahiko call his name.  Their game had recently changed from, Kaoru chasing Yahiko until either she collapsed or managed to hit him, to Yahiko hiding behind Kenshin so he wouldn't get hit period.

            Sure enough, the dark haired youth danced behind Kenshin, putting the redhead between Kaoru and himself.

            "I have done nothing, that I have not.  Keep me out of this."

"Aww… but you're such a good defense, Kenshin-san."

"A true man faces his fears, that he does.  He does not hide behind others, that he doesn't."

"I'm not scarred of that HAG!"

"Why you little brat!" shouted Kaoru.

"But you are hiding from her, that you are."

"Shut-up Kenshin."

"You started this, that you did."

"Excuse me."

All three stopped and turned to see Saito Hajime standing watching them.  He had a cigarette on his lips to go along with his smirk.

"Can't even get the kid's to stop fighting, eh Battousai?" sneered the taller man.

"They are not kids, that they are not."

"Hn."

"What do you want, Saito?" asked Yahiko slightly annoyed.

"Actually, I need your help, Battousai."

"There is no one here by that name, that there is not, Saito-san, however, may I offer my assistance."

Saito's eye's narrowed and he became serious for the first time.  "Actually, you may not be able to help me.  I need Battousai the Man Slayer."

Kenshin motioned for Kaoru and Yahiko to go inside.  Thanking whatever deity was out there that the students had already gone home for the day.

"I repeat Yahiko's question: What do you want Saito."

The former captain watched until Kaoru and Yahiko had entered the dojo before he resumed talking.

"I meant what I said Kenshin.  Your help would be nice, but the Battousai might be needed."

"Detail's Hajime."  Kenshin dropped his rurouni act around Saito Hajime, the man knew him to well for him to put up the effort.

"Consent, Himura."

Kenshin's eye's flashed.  They both knew that in a head to head battle, the former Battousai would win, they also knew that battle would never occur. He also puzzled over the fact Saito had called him "Himura."  He never called him anything besides Battousai.  How strange.  "No.  I will agree to nothing until I know what it is I am in for.  If you don't wish to explain, leave."

"If I were to try and deal with this on my own I would most certainly end up dead.  More certainly then if I was chickenhead fighting Shishio."

Glaring at the snide remark about their mutual… friend… Kenshin considered what Hajime said.

If, whatever the problem was, was more then Saito could handle alone, them perhaps the Battousai would be needed.

"Detail's Saito, I don't want Kaoru-dono in danger."

"Ah, still haven't told her you love her yet?"

"Hajime," Kenshin's tone spoke volumes but mostly it said, you're of dangerous footing, wolf, got back to your own territory.

"Hn, fine.  I believe an old friend of ours has come out of the shadows."

"Another swordsman from the revolution?  Someone from the Inshinshishi or the Shisengumi?"

"Hai, we think anyway."

"Think?"

"Well this person is assassinating politicians from all factions of the government.  Who ever they are doesn't seem to care what side the politician is on, only if they are being dishonest.  Everyone we found murdered has been part of some kind of corruption.  Who ever this is, is some kind of self proclaimed exterminator, extracting the bad from the good, or their judgment of it."

"Someone after your own heart, eh?  Kill, Evil, Instantly?"

"Shut-up, Himura, this is serious.  As of right now, both you and I are not only the only two who can solve this case, we're also the main suspects."

"Nani?" Kenshin had an idea where this was leading, but apparently he was wrong.  "Us?  Why would we be suspects?"

"The sword stile is a mixture of many forms.  The Hiten Mitsurugi and the Shisengumi style among them."

"That is impossible, only I and my master know the Hiten Mitsurugi."

"Hia, and who ever it is also knows the Secret Sword techniques."

"Shishio's attacks?"

"Hai."

"So why are _we_ subjects again.  You know no Hiten Mitsurugi, and neither of us know the Secret Sword techniques."

"We know we don't know them.  But anyone higher up who knows it was us who fought Shishio knows we've seen the techniques.  Tell me, Battousai, do you not think you could perform the Shinsengumi attacks or those of Shishio?"

"I could, if I wanted, but my style is Hiten Mitsurugi.  I would use no other."

"Again, we know that, they don't.  Others do not understand that a swordsman's technique is part of who they are.  They think we would use whatever attack best suits us."

"Like this assassin does."

"Yes, like Shadow."

"Shadow?"

"The name we've given to the assassin."

"And you want my help in catching this Shadow?"

"I want your help in destroying him."

"You know I will not kill."

"You will, Battousai, or die trying."

"You forget, I do not have to help you at all."

"You will, Himura, you will."

And with that the wolf left.  Kenshin stood for a few moments puzzling over the police officer's words.  He would, eh?  The wolf was up to something and that was never good.

A few days later, Kenshin was once again kneeling at the tub of soapy water washing clothes.  No one else was at the dojo.  Kaoru was teaching lessons somewhere and Yahiko was visiting his girlfriend.

He heard the gate to the dojo open.  Assuming it was someone looking for Kaoru, for the dojo had become quite popular as of late, he said over his shoulder, "Kaoru-dono will not be back for a few hours, that she won't, please try again tomorrow, she will be here all day, that she will."

No answer came; no movement was made by the unseen presence behind him.  Whoever it was did not seem hostile, but the silence was beginning to unnerve him.  

"Is there something I can do for you?" ha asked.

A voice answered him.  It was feminine, most defiantly, but it was deeper them most women's voices, "You can turn around and make my dreams come true."

Yami Kitsune: REVIEW!!

Rurouni_agra: umm… please?


	2. Shadow of the Past

Rurouni_agra: Chocolate covered green beans?  Oh my.

Yami Kitsune: I'll have the chocolate; you can keep the green beans.

Rurouni_agra: Another chapter.

Yami Kitsune: We no own.

Rurouni_agra: Here we go.  This chapter dedicated to Pzanna.

Yami Kitsune: Like the name, Pzanna.  Pzanna, … pazanna, ... pazanna pazanna pazanna pazanna pazanna.  It's just fun to say.

Rurouni_agra: Here's the next chapter.  Again short.  Damn my need for study halls to do homework and evil weekends to stuffed to do anything.  You know, freshmen year is hard, but I like it.

Yami Kitsune: Who cares?  We wrote another chapter. Now let them READ!

Old Friend

… A voice answered him. It was feminine, most defiantly, but it was deeper them most women's voices, "You can turn around and make my dreams come true."

            Kenshin froze.  Not only because of what the voice had said, but because something in the voice seemed familiar.  He could not place a face to the voice, nor a name, but it seemed familiar.  He knew the person, but he did not know the said person's identity.

            He considered not turning around to speak with the newcomer but his rurouni mask wouldn't let him, it would be rude.

            "I do not know what you mean, that I do not," he said as he stood.  He waited for her answer before turning.

            "Don't tease me, Himura.  You mocked me for years.  I don't think I can stand much more."

            Tensing at the use of his surname, Kenshin prepared to turn.  No one he'd met since the revolution called him 'Himura' without the usual –san.  That meant the woman behind him knew him as the Battousai.

            "Kuso!" he murmured finally turning to face his known stranger.

            A woman stood before him, that in it was not a surprise, he had known the stranger was female from her voice, but the hurt with her voice he had expected someone small and fragile.  He was half right.  The woman before him was small but fragile was not the word that came to mind.

            She wore a black shirt much like Saito Hajime's but she wore a hamika like his own.  Even through the shirt Kenshin could see she was well muscled.  Long, reddish brown, hair was pulled away from her face with a length of cloth high on her head, like the way he use to were in during the revolution.  Her bangs only covered the left side of her face.  High cheekbones set of her similarly coloured red brown eyes that were starring at him, unblinkingly, examining every part of him.  They lingered on his sword and on his scar, before coming to meet his eyes.  Two sword, one shorted then the other, could be seen hanging from her left hip, just as his had hung so many years ago.  Damn but she looked familiar, but he still couldn't place her.  The one thing that threw him the most was how young she appeared.  She looked not much older then Sano, but then she couldn't have known him during the revolution, be had been the youngest in the Inshinshishi, plus she was to young to join the group anyway.

            "It has been too long, Kenshin, far too long."

            Realizing they'd been starring at each other in silence for at least five minutes before she had spoken, Kenshin hurriedly pulled up the rurouni mask and put it firmly in place.  Apparently she knew him, or thought she did.  He however, was still unsure.

            "I am sorry, that I am, but I don't believe I know you, that I don't."

            He expected her to remind him of one of his many travels as a rurouni, or perhaps of another Inshinshishi and say she was his daughter, or even perhaps attack him because he'd killed someone she knew, to smile, smirk, and taunt him like most people who know of his past did.  He'd expected anything but what happened.

            The woman had not smiled nor shown any emotion outwardly since she'd arrived.  But when Kenshin had told her he did not know who she was, her face utterly fell.  She looked like someone who'd just found out his or her parents died suddenly.  He could see the sadness in her eyes.  A grief so deep it affected her entire soul.  He had felt a strong, confident ki from her when she'd entered the dojo, but now, every part of her reflected misery, pain, and despair.  When she spoke, her voice clearly announced she was holding back sobs.

            "What did I do Kenshin?  What did I do to make you leave me?  You only had to tell me any I would have done anything for you.  Why?  Why did you leave?"

              Kenshin froze.  He'd never left anyone.  True he'd had one or two lovers before Tome it hadn't lasted.  One lover had gotten killed.  The other, he preferred not to think of.

            Could this be her?  Would she really, after doing what she did to him so many years ago, try and come back to him, thinking he would forgive her?  He examined the girl a little more closely.  Upon a second look he could see her face was more mature then he'd previously thought, not to mention that, if this was who he thought it was then she would look younger, her chest was more mature as well and there was wisdom and experience in her eyes along with the pain. 

            Could it really be Nekura?  Would she really come back to him after all this time?  After what she did?  Perhaps her epithet fit her just as his had.  She was known to be heartless, perhaps she was.  He was known as a manslayer, and he was.

            "Nekura," he said, again dropping the rurouni mask letting his voice deepen to resemble that of what it was when he was a manslayer.

            Though she had been on the verge of tears, she still stood strait.  Apparently not even a broken soul would cause this woman to loose any honor.

            "You…you remember me?" her voice still spoke of unshed tears.

            "Yes I remember you, and what you did to me."

Rurouni_agra: And there it is.  Another annoyingly short chapter, sorry.

Yami Kitsune:  Thanks again to Pazanna, our ONLY reviewer!

Rurouni_agra: Hint, hint, please review!  The more reviews, the more inclined we are to write this.  We DO have other things to do you know.

Yami Kitsune: You act like you have a life.


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